pottek



Aug. 28, 1923. 1,466,479

E. F. POTTER INDICATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 2 1922 cage, inthe county ofCook and Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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mmca'rme DEVICE.

Application filed October 2, 1922. Serial No. 591,999.

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, Eanmn F. Powell, a citizen of the United States,residin at Chitate of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Indicating Devices,

'of which the following is a full, clear, concise. and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming aart of this specification.

y invention relates to indicating devices and more particularly toindicating devices for use upon motor vehicles and the like.

It is customary to place signal lights upon vehicles, such for exampleas. the head, tail and side lights. Some of these, as for example,the-tail orsto signals now in use, are positioned out of t e field ofobservation of the driver so that hefis not apprised as to whether ornot they are functioning properlyf It is also customary to employvarious indicators in connection with the operation of the vehicle.Vision of some of these at night. as for example, the temperatureindicator positioned on the radiator ca is dilficult if not impossible,a continuous 1 inmination of theteiupcrature indicator is you trying onthe eyes at night, especially in I riving over long stretches ofunli'ghted road. a

The object of my invention. is the provision of. cvicc which willindicate to the driver vi; ,ntor any cause, the tail or stoplight, forexample, fails to function properly and whirli will at the same timeilluminate the temperature or other indicator, wrioilic ohservntion ofwhich is desirable, to direct the drivers attention thereto and renderthe sumo visible for inspection from tho drivcfs scat.

Another object is to provide for convenivnlly llifillni-ll'lg the deviceand supporting the same adjacent the indicator in connection with whichit is used.

Another object is to provide a device adjustnhlc to any size ofindicator.

Fnrthcr ohjects and advantages will become apparent as this descriptionproceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a lvnnu-rnturo indicator showingan embodiment of my invcntion in connection therewith;

Figure 2 is a front clevational view of same;

ing a thermometer 7 arran Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken onthe line 33 of Figure 25 Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken.

on the line H of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a' modification; and

Fi 118 6 shows diagrammatically one circuit or operating the device ofmy invention.

-In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 5 designates atemperatureindicator comprising a frame 6 adapted for mounting inupright position upon the radiator filler cap of the vehicle and hav inthe usua or any preferred manner tferein, for ind i encircling the faceof the indicator Stu-- war'ds the drivers'seat and secured thereto bysuitable screws 12, which icrews rna in addition clamn the retentionring in place. The lamp 9, one terminal ot may begrounded asshown at 14;iII FITQI'B 6, is upplied through a conductor 15 w ich leads u throughthe ring 13, which ringis refera ly semi-circular in cross section.

he conductors 15 extend down through, the passage provided by the bulgedformation ofthe ring 13 and are connected with a, pin and socketconnector 25,.one 1310f which is secured to ,the frame 11 w e e other iscarried bv the endof a suitable conductor which may be rovided t5deliven currentto the device. The projecting socket 8 and connectionsthereto 'are enclosed. against the weather and to give the device afinished appearance by a ea or hood 16. l

A hood l7 encloses the lamp 9. The end of this hood 1? is provided witha lens 18 facing the drivers seat anda. pair of diagrammetrica-llyopposite panes or lenses 19 nd. 20. A relatively narrow longitudinalslot 21 in the bottom of the hood 17 permits rays of light from the lam9v when the same isilluminated to fall on t e thermometer 7 to directthe drivers attention thereto.

The conductor which connects with the conductor 15 through the connector25 is connected at its opposite end, in the embodiment shown, with thearmature 28 (Fig. 6) of a relay of the t pc disclosed in my 00- endingapplication aerial 515,228, filed uly 15,

. attention is it 'V-to the driver 1922. The coil 30 surrounding thecore 31 and connected therewith at 32 is connected. to one side of thestop signal 33 the opposite side of which is grounded as shown at 38. Ofcourse the inventionmav be practiced with a direction, tail or othersignal circuit. The oppositeend of the coil 30 which is connected withthe core 31 at 32 is connected to source of current 35 thru a switch 36.The source 35 is grounded at 40.

It will now be apparent that when the stop lamp 33 is illuminated as byoperation of the brake mechanism of the vehicle that the magnetic actionof the coil 30 will attract the armature 28 into contact with the core31. This contact-of the armature 28 with the. core 31 completes thecircuit through the lamp 9 by way of the core 31, armature 28, conductor15 and ground 14. If the lamp or signal 33 functions properly the lampQWlll lighta-nd illuminate the lens 18 to apprise the'driver thatthesignal [S functioning properly and alsothe temperature indicator '5 toire'ct the drivers attention to said indicator. Should the lamp orsignal 33 forany reason fail to function, the lam 9 will not light andthe driver of; the vehicle will thereby appsised of such fail-Illumination of the temperatureindieator' only upon operation of thesignal 33 avoids the distraction of a constantly illuminated indicatorand at these-hie time the drivers directed tothev indicator every. timthe signal is operated instead of leavmg 53% to observe the indicatorperio" ically without reminding him ordirecting his attention so" thathe will make such observation. Furthennore, additional deliberateoperations by the driver are avoided. The relay and circuit arrangement,described provides for iid'equalte illumination of the temperatureindicator when the signal is operated without taking current from ordecreasing the brillia-ncy of the sig nal lamp. The invention is notlimited to use with stop signals but is adapted for use withany'automatic means for intermittently operating thesame.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 the support is made adjustable to becon-- veniently adjusted to and mounted upon any size or type ofindicator. The support in this case comprises a hollow stem or post 45'having a clam 46 at its-lower end for securing it to t e temperatureindicator 47.

The lamp carrying fixture 48 with its lens 49 facing the drivers seat,slot.50 for direct ing rays of light on the indicator 47, panes 51, andenclosing portion 52. is provided with a hollow stem 53 which telescopesinto the upper end of the stem or post 45. To fit the devi e to thedesired temperature in-' dicator the stem 53 is telescope-d into orwithdrawn from the stem 15 to the desired adjustment. preferably to thepoint at which the fixture portion 48 engages upon the up per edge ofthe temperature indicator as shown. The screw 54 is then tightened up tosecure the same in adjusted position. The conductor for siuaplyingthelump ex tends up through the hollow stems -15 and 53 and is connected tothe lamp receiving socket mounted in the fixture -18.

I claim:

1. In combination with a rear signal light normally not lighted when thevehicle is running at night, means for intermittently lighting saidlight: upon certain manipulations by the driver in controlling the car,and a temperature indicator remote from the drivers position; atell-tale light positioned to illuminate said temperature indiester andelectric connections for illuminating said telltale light simultaneouslywith said signal light, whereby said tell-tale light intermittentlyapprises the driver that the signal is functioning and simultaneouslyrcminds him of the temperature indicator.

2. In combination. a temperature indicator for a motor vehiclepositioned at a point where constant illumination would interfere withmud vision, and automatic means for frequentlyilluminating saidindicator at relatively brief intervals only.

3. In comhinution with a rear signal light norm-all not lighted when thevehicle is running at night. means for intermittently lighting saidlight upon certain changes in the movement of the vehicle, and anindicating dcvirc remote from the driver's positlon; a tell-tale lightpositioned to illumi-' note said indiculing device. and electricconnections for operating said tell-tale light si multaneously with saidsignal light, whereby said tell-tale light intermittently appriscs thedriver that the signal is functioning and simultaneously reminds him ofthe indicating device.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my na-Ine'this 28 day ofSeptember, 1922. EARLE F. POTTER.

